Historic Paddle Art: C. Krieghoff - An Officer`s Room in Montreal

Much has been written on the site of canoe related artwork of Artist Cornelius Krieghoff. A replica of the paddle illustrated in his 1848 Lithograph, Indian Wigwam in Lower Canada was finished back in 2017.

Here's another Krieghoff painting featuring a historic paddle design. "An Officer`s Room in Montreal" (1846) features a a busy scene of a room filled with objects related to Canadiana: skates, snowshoes, fishing gear, furs, etc. The painting is believed to represent the quarters of Andrew Aylmer Staunton, an assistant surgeon with the Ordnance Medical Department assigned to the Royal Artillery in Montreal from 1845 to 1848.

Officer's Room in Montreal

Cornelius Krieghoff

Date: 1846/1846

Physical Dimensions: w63.5 x h44.5 cm

Medium: oil on canvas

Provenance: Gift of the Sigmund Samuel Endowment Fund, 1954

Royal Ontario Museum 

Accession Number: 954.188.2

Source Link

Resting on the fireplace mantle is a model bark canoe with high pointed ends typical of the era. It is likely Kreighoff used this model to paint the full sized canoes used in many of his imagined scenes of indigenous life. 

Model Canoe

Tucked behind the sitting Officer appears to be a inverted canoe paddle with a long slender blade and a definite ridge in the centre. Unfortunately, the grip of the paddle is obscured by the positioning of the chair that the officer is sitting on. However, a clear pattern of decoration extending down the shaft and up to the midpoint of the blade shows a contrasting red and blue pattern. There also appears to be a sort of black leafy pattern on the central part of the blade. Although Kreighoff painted many repetitive scenes with decorated paddles in his works, I've never come across this same decoration pattern.

Closeup of inverted paddle

Historic Paddle Photo: Archive.org

A photo dated to 1902 showcasing some paddles and a very early style of canvas canoe in the New Brunswick area...

Lake Nasahie, New Brunswick, 1902 August 21

by Ervin S. Hubbard

Prescott and Seward floating canoe over Outlet of Lake Nasahie

https://archive.org/details/ms2381_c01_b01_i17

Historic Paddle Photo: Wisconsin Ojibwa Paddle

Here's a 1908 photo showcasing a woman and child posing with a birchbark canoe found in the online collection of The Langlade County Historical Society.

Woman and child with a birch bark canoe, 1908

Kingsbury, Arthur J., 1876-1956

Format: Glass negative

Description

An adult and child appear to be preparing to launch a birch bark canoe. 

Handwritten caption reads: "Copyright 1908 by A.J. Kingsbury, Antigo, Wis."

 Langlade County Historical Society

Source Link

The closeup of the paddle shows a very interesting grip shape, a sort of stubby pommel.

Paddle Closeup

It is similar in design to the "Chippewa Woman's Paddle" in the collection of the Smithsonian discussed in the 2017 post here.

Bureau of American Ethnology

BULLETIN 86 - Chippewa Customs

Plate 53

Image Source Link

Paddle Art: S.C. Shaw - THE PADDLE MAKER

Here's a lovely piece of canoe themed art by Canadian Artist, Stuart Clifford Shaw (1896-1970) sold in a 2007 Waddington's Auction.

THE PADDLE MAKER

Stuart Clifford Shaw

Oil on Masonite (14” X 10”)

Source Link

Image Courtesy of Waddington's Auctioneers and Appraisers, Toronto

Tom P acquires Chestnut Paddle

Some of the paddles in the private collection of Tom Penniston have been featured on the site. Tom was fortunate to recently acquire another spectacular pieces that was recently up for auction at Waddington's in December of 2024.

 Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) Paddle

56.25 x 4.5 x 1 in — 142.9 x 11.4 x 2.5 cm

Image Courtesy of Waddington's Auctioneers and Appraisers, Toronto

While not attributed to any specific carver, the paddle's style is reflective of an older form of Maliseet/Wabanaki paddle with the tear-drop blade and pointed tip. A similar paddle shape is seen in an circa 1886 illustration featuring a similar flattened handle and large carved drip ring being paddled by tourists renting out bark canoes from this post here.

One side of the grip face is etched with the former owners name, "W. Chestnut". This would be William T. Chestnut (1867 - 1935) of Chestnut Canoe Co fame. Long before the establishment of the canoe company in 1904, William was an avid outdoorsman and hunter while working in the family business, R. Chestnut & Sons, Hardware Merchants. Surviving documentation and photos showcase his love for outdoor pursuits, including this circa 1887 photograph featuring men of a sporting club in Fredericton, New Brunswick paddling bark canoes near their summer camp, Camp Comfort. William Chestnut on the far left with the white sleeves. 

Provincial Archives of New Brunswick

Reference number: P5-175

TAYLOR, GEORGE: PHOTOGRAPHS

Description

Eight men in canoes from Camp Comfort Island. The artistic layout of this picture caused it to make quite a hit in 1887. Springhill in background.

Source Link

The resolution and angle prevent seeing any details of his paddle, but it is not a stretch to think that in the 1880's these white patrons were commissioning birchbark canoes and accompanying paddles for their use from local Maliseet craftsmen. St. Mary's First Nation was located was directly across the river from Fredericton. Perhaps that it is the origin of William's which was customized with his name and an etching of nesting birds on the blade.

Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) Paddle

56.25 x 4.5 x 1 in — 142.9 x 11.4 x 2.5 cm

Image Courtesy of Waddington's Auctioneers and Appraisers, Toronto

 Blade Closeup

Image Courtesy of Waddington's Auctioneers and Appraisers, Toronto